A Blazing Saddles remake is being produced in Montreal

An animated reimagining of Mel Brooks’s 1974 comedy classic Blazing Saddles is being worked on in Montreal. Production on Blazing Samurai is taking place at the city’s Cinesite Montreal. Cinesite’s Montreal and Vancouver divisions will be handling the film’s CG animation. The company has previously worked on animated hits such as The Addams Family, The Star and Gnome Alone.

Blazing Samurai tells the story of Hank, a dog who arrives in a city full of cats with the dream of becoming a samurai. He is mentored by Jimbo, a legendary cat samurai who teaches the scrappy Hank.

Hank and Jimbo are played by Michael Cera and Samuel L. Jackson, respectively. Other voice actors include Rickey Gervais, the Spice Girls’ Mel B and Blazing Saddles originator Mel Brooks. Brooks also serves as an executive producer.

Rob Minkoff and Mark Koetsier are co-directors of the film. Minkoff previously helmed titles such as The Lion King and Stuart Little. This will be Koetsier’s directorial debut.

Blazing Samurai was originally set for a 2017 release. However, the film went into development hell due to troubles with both financing and production. Deadline estimates the film’s budget at $46-million.

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